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DE PERE - A proposal to ban discrimination against transgender individuals won support Monday from more De Pere officials.

The city’s Board of Health on Monday signed off on a draft ordinance that would prohibit businesses, employers and landlords from discriminating against people who identify as transgender and gender non-binary.

While federal and state nondiscrimination laws apply to a wide range of protected classes, they do not cover gender identity and gender expression. The proposed measure would fill that gap within city limits, according to City Attorney Judith Schmidt-Lehman.

Under the proposed ordinance, anyone who claims to have been discriminated against can file a complaint with the city and violators could be fined.

The term transgender refers to people whose personal identity and gender does not comport with their sex at birth; gender non-binary refers to people who don’t identify entirely as female or male.

Alderman Casey Nelson, who proposed the ordinance, said he doesn't know if discrimination against transgender persons is a problem in De Pere; such cases aren't being tracked because the practice is not illegal, he said.

Nelson cited studies that found significantly higher rates of suicide among those who identify as transgender.

"I think this is so important to show that De Pere is a community that welcomes everybody," Nelson said.

Several members of the public voiced support for the measure Monday, including Annette and John Grunseth of Allouez, whose adult daughter is transgender.

“Are you concerned about somebody attacking you because of your gender identity?" John Grunseth asked the panel. "I bet most of us don’t even think about that, but this is constantly on our daughter’s mind.”